Contents
May-June 2009
The Mountain that Eats MenA descent into Bolivia’s dark heart
by Andrew Westoll, from the Walrus
photos by Jason Rothe
Truth , No Matter the PowerControversial Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei’s only fear is silence
interview by Simon Kirby, from Index on Censorship
Why Don’t We Eat It in the Road?The eight best cities for street food
by Terry Ward, from World Hum
Life , Liberty, and Fine ChocolateAn Italian entrepreneur pursues simple perfection on a tropical island
by Xan Rice, from New Statesman
Mangoes and PoetryAn Indian event celebrates the fruit in words and slurps
by James Mutti, from Gastronomica
Tropical DepressionDespite its high suicide rate, Cuba denies the existence of mental illness. For relief, citizens turn to the black market and a little white pill.
by Lygia Navarro, from the Virginia Quarterly Review photos by Jason Florio
Emerging Ideas
Wooing TehranNixon engaged China. Obama must be equally bold with Iran.
by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett, from the Washington Monthly
Der IndianerWhy do 40,000 Germans spend their weekends dressed as Native Americans?
by Noemi Lopinto, from Alberta Views
Power from the PeopleThe developing world generates innovative strategies for renewable energy
by Elizabeth Ryan
Plus: Dispatches from Peru, Iraq, Brazil, Sierra Leone, Hong Kong, Nepal, sub-Saharan Africa, India, Libya, Russia, and more
Mixed Media
¡Viva Literature!Is Mexico a narco state or a book lover’s paradise? It depends on what you read.
by Carlin Romano, from the Chronicle of Higher Education
MP3 Scavengers Know No BordersA host of world music blogs to expand your playlist
by Keith Goetzman
As the World TurnsGlobal soap operas speak the universal language of heartbreak
by Jeff Severns Guntzel
Plus: Watching global TV wherever you are and grooving to Persian classical music in Canada
Mindful Living
The Lie We LoveForeign adoption seems like a win-win arrangement. Unfortunately, those bundles of joy may not be orphans at all.
by E.J. Graff, from Foreign Policy
National Poker FaceHappy or not, Russians rarely smile in public
by Maria Krakovsky, from Psychology Today
The Emancipated EarthEcuador’s constitution grants rights to nature. It’s time for the world to follow suit.
by Kari Volkmann-Carlsen
Plus: Dispatches from Italy, Lebanon, the Philippines, and more
Gleanings
Naguib Mahfouz ‘s White Linen SuitAn Egyptian Nobel laureate, his pristine ensemble, and his obsequious entourage
by Anand Balakrishnan, from Bidoun
The Pipeline LoverA poet seeks only to protect his rusted, burning beloved
by Dr. H, from Bidoun
All Foreigners BeepLiving among “locals” comes at a cost
by Dubravka Ugresic, from the book Nobody’s Home
The Need for SpeedTirana’s children slide down the world’s strangest monument
by A. Craig Copetas, from the book Mona Lisa’s Pajamas
My Senegalese Cousin, the Rice-Loving PigPlaying the dozens at a Samba Dia market
by Katie Krueger, from World Hum
The Land Is Who We ArePolitical boundaries can’t break a West Bank farmer’s connection to his soil
by Diane Josephy Peavey, from High Desert Journals
Utne Independent Press Awards Nominees
Editor’s Note: The People’s Press
